Appreciate

(Somehow I missed this one during my frenetic catching up!)

#14 Appreciate. What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate the most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

The one thing I appreciate the most is really A LOT of different people.  I have the most amazing group of friends.  And it keeps getting better. I am a very lucky girl when it comes to friends… I’ve added some beautiful new ones this year and lovingly released a few who actually didn’t fit the definition of friend anymore.  My friends lift me up and inspire me.  They are all totally kick-ass people and they’re authentic. 

One of the biggest ways for me to express gratitude is to continue to be authentic myself.  If I’m proud to be me, in all my clumsy, dorky, teacher-y awesomeness then the people around me can be 

a.) proud to hang out with such a cool chick ;) and 

b.) totally free to be their awesome selves in whatever form that comes in.

Another way I show my gratitude is to cook for and with people.  I’m still working my way around some of the new friends, but my favorite way to show someone I love and appreciate them is to knock their socks of with a really delicious meal or a fun snack at a party.  Food is the key to everyone’s heart and nothing is better than that feeling of taking really good care of someone by picking out a meal you know they’ll love, creating it with gratitude and serving it with pride.

As previously mentioned (like, a dozen times) I also write in my gratitude journal almost every night.  I'm committed to writing at least three things each entry, though typically I’ll write around ten and most of these are friends I’ve seen or people who’ve touched my life that day.  I like doing this. It’s a good way to recap my day and it keeps me focused on all the positive things in my life.  But it doesn’t let that person know that I’m thankful for them...

Soooo, inspired by my mother (who is one cool chick herself) I’ve decided to start writing a thank you note everyday. I think they’ll most likely come in the form of an email, or a DM, but for some people, like my Grandma, I’ll hand a note to the postman. If I can tell someone, in a very personal way, each day of 2011 I’ll have told 365 people how grateful I am for them.  And it feels so good to be told that you’ve made a difference.  What could be more powerful than that? Now I just have to find the time.